Monday, December 16, 2013

In my opinion,
The Peace on Earth hunt is the best free hunt in Second Life™. If you have been
following Desirée’s progress, as you should be doing, you know that she was
unearthed some spectacular prizes, and she still has over 100 to go!

Out of respect
for the creators of this hunt I am not giving SLurls to the locations of the
hunt prizes, but I am telling you the names of the stores in which the prize
object—a globe with three doves on it—can be found. There are hints for this
hunt, and they can be found here:http://peaceonearthhunt.wordpress.com/poe6-hunter-guide/

That said, let’s
conclude Desirée’s marathon of unboxing:

Picture One:Who says Christmas and Holidays have to
be only red and green. This neutral skybox from Silent Woods is a great
backdrop for a picture:

Eyes:Sterling Artistry Eyes

Hair Jewelry:Vintage Jewels - Fascinator

Background: Silent Woods Frostbite Skybox

Shape:Magic Avi Small Shape

Picture Two:

Every once in a while a prize comes
along that is so good that even my friends who disdain freebies have to go and
get it. This Vintage Teal Gown from HUDSONS is one of those prizes. How can you
resist?sit

Gown: HUDSONS
Vintage Teal

Jewelry:
Exquisite Falling Hearts Necklace, earrings, and bangles

Picture Three:

Gowns, gowns, and more gowns. The Peace
on Earth creators realize how many formal affairs take place during the
holidays. Here’s just a few:

This picture has another one of the
things for which the POE Hunt is known, and that’s fun. Hanaya’s Home and
Garden’s Rideau Canal Skating Shack not only lets you set up shop renting
skates, but gives anyone who touches a nice set of animated skates. Here is
Desirée, alongside the Hiro Canal in Varney, dispensing fun.

So, that’s it for this year’s
Peace on Earth Hunt, and it may take poor Desirée all the way to next year before
she’s rested enough to hunt again. We hope you have found something you want
here. Above all: May there DrFran Babcock

Friday, December 13, 2013

DrFran’s alt, Desirée, is working her pixels to the bone
completing the Peace on Earth Hunt. She keeps asking DrFran if she can stop and
rest, but DrFran is pretty adamant: “The readers of SL Newser deserve the best
coverage—keep hunting.” So, dear reader, below you will find the edited and
selected booty from hunts prizes 51-100. Please remember that the names of the
store are given, but no SLurls. It is really not hard to find the stores with
Search. If you need any help, do not hesitate to IM DrFran for a lesson in
finding things. She taught Desirée everything she knows, and look at the
results below.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

The
Peace on Earth Hunt (POE) is my favorite hunt every year. It comes
during the holiday season, and offers free gifts from most of the major
content creators in Second Life™. I have friends who look askance at
freebies in SL, but in my opinion, not only are they great, but hunts
can introduce you to new stores and new shopping opportunities. This
year, the sixth time the hunt is being offered, there are over 200
prizes, with delights for everyone: Skin, poses, men's clothes,
furniture, jewelry, and gowns galore.

A Little Disappointing News - Maybe:

My usual hunt report procedure is to show the prizes, and give the reader a SLurl to the prize location, but the Peace on Earth Hunt organizer, Sequoia Nightfire has not provided the names of the participating
venues. I will provide you with the names of the content creators, but I
will leave you to find the stores, and locate the hunt item: a globe of
the world with doves on it. The hint blog is here: http://peaceonearthhunt.wordpress.com/poe6-hunter-guide/ . Join my alt as she shows you items selected from hunt prizes 1-50.

Picture One

The quality of the gifts in POE6 is not up for negotiation. The white cat that circles Desirée, my alt, is from the great KittyCats who make breedable kittens
that interact in very lifelike ways. This kitty, chasing a halo and
moving its tails and paws does not require food, and will happily
accompany you on all of your rounds. Remember that this is free, and
very much worth it.

The dress is from LivGlam, the Dance Like This, and it's original mesh, with delicate ruffles on the neckline and cuffs. The shiny black pumps are from Lindy Modern and Retro Shoes, and will remain a staple of Desirée's wardrobe.The screen and carpet are and by Sequoia Style , the bah humbug signs by Nexus Arts, the skin is the Elena Skin by Styles by Kira. Everything you see is free, even the hair which is an old group gift from Eaters Coma.

Picture Two

This picture was taken at the Christmas Town 2013, (Elizabeth Town sim), and highlights just one amazing complete outfit, the Très Beau "Celtic Crimson," that looks to me like something a Russian princess would wear.

Picture Three

Sascha's Design's prize is this amazing sky blue gown, that would be perfect for any holiday event. SaschaFrangillihas been designing since 2007, and has won several Avi Choice Awards. Her gowns are well known for their glamorous details.

Picture Four

We are so happy the Sway Dench (Sway's) is
back in world and creating. For POE6 she offers a Yin-Yang Shelf that
comes, as shown, with items in it, or bare, so you can put your own
goodies in it.The POE Shirt and Sweater come from Legal Insanity, and
make a nice alternative from all the holiday glitter. The neko ears and fluffy tail come from Shattered. There are also undecorated ears and a slender tail in the prize globe, and everything is animated.

Picture Five

Desirée went wild with these gold items, although DrFran doesn't
much care for prim nails. The stunning dress by Journey for Prism is
the Babe, and the +WTG+ Holy Gold jeweled nails come with a great
sizing HUD, so that they will fit almost everybody.

Picture Six

The Shimmer Dress from Gizza was
one of the nicest items in the hunt. It's old-school in that it's not
mesh, but the sparkle layer on the skirt is dazzling. Paired with the
blue skin from Dulce Secrets, the Bliensen + MaiTaiIson Earrings, and Chop Zuey's Men's Gift—Black Tooth Grin Necklace Desirée looks mighty attractive, and she didn't have to spend a lot.

Picture Seven

This Epais Dress from Snowpaws is very reminiscent of the dress worn by Shimmer in the first Hunger Games movie. It is ethereal and whimsical at the same time. Desirée opted for the Ison earrings again, because they went so well.

Picture Eight

The
last picture displays an astounding, complete holiday living room that
is complete with working fireplace, and comfy chairs with great sit
poses. Dench Designs has created a true masterpiece. Desirée remained
in this room, and had to be cajoled to continue the hunt. She finally
agreed to continue, and left wearing the mesh QUEEN gown from EVOLVE.

The Peace on Earth Hunt 6

This hunt will run until January 6, 2014,
and since it's so big, you had best get started now. There is a hunt
group, and its members are chatty and helpful. Of course, there is more
to come. Stay tuned for a summary of the choicest gifts from POE6.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Sometimes you are at work and can’t log into Second Life™.
Sometimes the grid is down. Sometimes, the only place to go for a Second Life™
fix is the Marketplace. However, this month you can go to the Marketplace to do
a hunt! The Lag Free Marketplace Hunt began on November 1st, and
runs until the end of the month. Without a doubt, it’s the easiest hunt I have
ever done, and well worth the small effort it takes.

The Lag Free Marketplace
Hunt

The theme of the hunt is Night and Day, and with the handy
url list, all one has to do is go to each Marketplace shop and search for
either Day or Night. Once you find the gift that is only One Linden, you buy
it, and it will go right into your Received Items Folder. I did the whole hunt
in a few minutes, and then I logged into Second Life™ to see what I had won. I
was not disappointed, especially with the male and female prizes from Vips
Creations, who had sponsored the hunt.

The female Vips Creations outfit is a mesh red dress,
reminiscent of the speakeasy saloons of the 1930s. The outfit is generously
accessorized with earrings, necklace, ring, purse and shoes! The complete look
is very retro and chic. The men’s gift
is a mesh business suit, that made me think of MadMen, and the business look
that most advertising executives wore in the 1950s. It is always so difficult
for men to find decent clothes in Second Life™, and this suit is a find. It
comes with glasses and shoes, and a mesh shirt and tie. Run and get it if you
need to be more formal, but not fussy.

The other gifts in the hunt are worth getting, but none are
as complete as the Vips outfit. I loved the Isle of Dee Moon-Sun Oracle Ring.
This luminescent gem attached to your hand, and with just answers a question
for you. The answer to my question, according to the oracle, was “yes.” My
question—none of your business, hehe. Since my childhood with a Magic 8 Ball I
have loved oracles. Get this ring, if you are like me.

I liked also the Remi Lalique Mesh Owl Tee Shirt because of
its design, and my partiality to owls. I had never heard of Remi Lalique until
this hunt. After all, isn’t that the purpose of a hunt? I can’t even count the
number of times I have discovered a wonderful new store while in the process of
conducting a hunt.

Other Marketplace
Booty

The Marketplace is a treasure trove for freebie hunters.
Just a little simple searching and I found two other gifts I want to share with
my dear readers.

The first is a green dress from Scandalous, that is a nice
combination of fabric and see-through lace. Lace is so very popular in fashion
now. I just returned from Europe and lace skirts and dresses were everywhere.
This lovely item is zero Lindens on the marketplace.

The last item I will share is another piece of jewelry. I
love jewelry that can be modified, and this is changeable in the best way
possible. The b.nuts Free Love Medallion is a locket that opens and closes.
What’s so nice about it is that the picture texture in the locket can be changed,
so that you can carry a picture of your love, your cat, or your ex (as I did)
inside the pendant. This is a one Linden gift on the Marketplace, so you can
even send it out as a gift.

So, if you are broke, or it, like me, you just like a good
bargain, take a look around the Marketplace. All the information you need is
below. See you next time, or maybe I will send my alt out again, my inventory
is getting to heavy for teleports.

Monday, October 14, 2013

Shopping hunts are popular in SL in general. Especially among those who have more time than lindens to spend. Grid-wide hunts while they encourage exploration of new sims and areas, they are often what is known as chain hunts, which means you need to find the items in consecutive order. Sim wide-hunts are usually easier in general and those which encompass only a mere store or two are easiest of all generally.

Hunts may have many themes, including holiday, seasonal, a color, an event such as a wedding or club opening or reopening, neko items, sexy underwear and accessories even be a melange of different themes encompassing the merchandise of a store etc. Designers and sellers, while they want the items to be an example of their work, rarely give away their best quality items. However they should at least be an item most will keep and or use. Usually an example of the item as a texture or list or on the website is helpful to know if the items are something an individual would wish to hunt for.

Hunts can be very vague and unhelpful for the most part , instance something that says it is near a tree when there are 100 trees in an area, would not be very useful at all. SL hunts has most in world hunts listed. Others will advertise their hunts in the store only or in stores which sell similar products.

A hunt's information may be given out in a variety of ways, in groups, through notices, through website links and even by an object which when touched gives out a notecards and/or landmarks

There is usually an example of what you are looking for next to the sign or object in most cases. However, I tried a hunt where there was no indication of anything you were supposed to look for just that it was sim-wide and some rather vague clues.

Because some individuals use scanners and so forth to cheat, they I believe were trying to circumvent this possibility, another organizer utilized decoy items to help prevent cheating. I do not pretend to be an expert at hunting but I do not cheat in hunts so both of these hunts were rather difficult for me to the point I gave up on one and the decoy one I only found a couple of items. Icons for hunts are easier to find if they are larger and a color which is bright.

I just want to say thank you to all the people who create and organize hunts in SL. To all readers, happy hunting and have fun with it.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

If you have never participated in a Second Life™ hunt, you
are missing out on a big piece of SL popular culture. Not only do you get to
find some pretty nice items, but you often meet people and make friends.
Another added benefit is being exposed to stores and merchants about which you
might not have known.

DrFran’s alt isn’t interested in all that. She just wants to
have fun, and hunts are great fun. DrFran is busy getting ready for her
vacation, and one of her stops will be the magical city of Venice. DrFran’s alt
will stay home and she got to do the Vintage in Venice Hunt. In this hunt you
are looking for a flat prim with a design in it, that is hidden somewhere in a
long list of stores. This is a one Linden hunt, and each prize costs that much,
but all of them are worth much more. The nice thing about this hunt is that it
was made to be unisex. Thus, most of the prizes are home furnishings and
vehicles. If there are clothing prizes, a prize is available for both male and
female avatars (sorry hamsters).

A Selection of the
Prizes

Desirée, DrFran’s alt, is very picky in her hunting. One
Linden is not a lot of money unless you are not a premium member. However, if
you disagree that the prizes below are not worth much more than one Linden,
please let her know. At An Lema’s shop (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alqualonde%20the%20Swanhaven/53/162/2743
) you get a whole roomful of Victorian furniture for a prize. The two screens
in the picture not only are texture change, but they fan open and closed on
touch.

The bed that is the prize at HC Creations (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lucky%20Island/57/204/21
) is one of Desirée’s favorites. It comes with a full menu of texture change
options, all is shades of brown and cream, and a slew of couple and single
poses, that are, I believe G-rated. She isn’t sure, because she couldn’t find a
resident to test the bed with her. This bed is clearly a reflection of the fine
work done by HC, and for one Linden it’s a steal.

The assortment of benches from Resplendent Designs (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moodle/155/157/32
), seven in number, are perfect for your entryway. I can imagine you sitting
and waiting for guests to come for a big party while seated on one of these
carefully textured items.

Saved for last: If you know DrFran, you know she is mad for
canals. The last prize shown for this hunt comes from Image Essentials (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Parameshvara/172/27/43
), and is a gondola made for posing and picture taking. The pose menu allows
for a gondola and as many as three passengers. It is a must have for you
romantics, and canal lovers.

This is just a small sample of what’s available in the
Vintage in Venice Hunt, and it is highly recommended for it’s relative ease in
finding the hunt items, the quality of the hunt items, and the fun of seeing
new shops and stores. Why not try your hand at a hunt?

Friday, September 27, 2013

Well, DrFran is busy building for Burn2, so she sent me out
to see what’s worth buying or finding on the grid. It’s not such a hardship, as
she set me up with a few Lindens, even though I am careful not to spend too
much. I had much success.

The Autumn Effect Hunt

The second Autumn Effect Hunt (http://depravednation.com/the-autumn-effect-2-0
) is going on until October 15th, and contains free hunt items that
are worth the effort. What I like about hunts is how they sometimes expose me
to shops I might never have known existed in this huge virtual world. I fell in
love with the flirty mesh micro mini that came from Luckie, a store I had never
seen before. For Tango lovers, the top does come with appliers, which I choose
not to wear. You can find Luckie here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/On%20Point/135/198/29
. The hunt object for which you search is a wooden disk with an autumn leaf on
it, and the hints on the Depraved Nation website above make them easy to find.

The Arcade Gacha
Event

You have to be under a sculpty rock to not know about this
round of The Arcade Gacha (http://thearcadeshoppingguide.com ). This insanely addictive event began in
2012, and has swept the grid like an Ozimal on steroids. The key element in
this sale is that you always win and item every time you play a gacha machine,
but only a few items per machine are rare or coveted. But wait, there’s more:
All of the items are no mod, no copy, but transfer. Thus, a whole economy and
lifestyle that is centered on residents trading for the items they want has
been created, and an enormous quantity of items find their way to resident
sponsored yard sales.

There is no one item that is more desired than any other.
For example, DrFran brought a friend to the event—by the way, the build of the
Arcade is just gorgeous—and was completely shocked that she wanted to collect
the porcelain fairy statues in the gacha created by Baiastice. However, once
she saw them, she had to collect a set for herself. The gacha machines can cost
from 25-100 Lindens, and you always get one of the prizes. If you don’t like
what got, just trade it for something else. Hurry, because the event only runs
until the end of September.

Check out the pictures here to see what DrFran’s alt put
together. Most of the items are not rare, but still scrumptious:

I stumbled across this super-easy hunt while I was looking
for a hunt item at PURE Perfection. You have to find the 15 sculpt hearts that
are sprinkled obviously throughout the store. I am wearing just two of the
prizes (5 Lindens apiece) in the picture: The Sexy Nerd Outfit (complete with
adorable eyeglasses and a smartphone to wear) and the Mesh Cowboy boots, which
really just look like tall black boots—perfect for wearing with everything!
PURE Perfection can be found at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Commerce%20Island/50/210/22

Monday, September 23, 2013

In my first report, I took you continent hopping and discovering treasure
chests. Join me, now, as we explore a grand new mall, called Chest Treasures.
What is this intrepid explorer doing, reporting on a shopping mall,
you ask? Well, what woman doesn't like exploring a new shopping mall?
Shortly after joining SL, I discovered that I could make Lindens, to
shop with, by dancing on a pole at Escort Oasis. I made good money doing
it, but girlfriends said I could make even more by working at "expansion"
clubs. In these clubs, the dancers wear prim breasts, a.k.a. implants,
and grow bigger with each tip. Long story short, I bought my first set
of implants and became a professional dancer.

In my first club, one
of the dancers showed me how to make custom tops for the implants. Within
two months, I opened my first clothing shop. It wasn't long before my
shop was turning up on lists of the best places to shop and other designers
were imitating my styles. Ultimately, the owner of Implant Nation invited
me to have a free booth in their main store.

Fast forward to the present,
the owner of Implant Nation quit SL, I retired from pro dancing, developed
a new mesh line of clothing and became an explorer. With my favorite
brand of implants out of the picture, all of my clothing vendors for
them were left to gather dust in my inventory. Unlike other implant
clothes, mine included full perm textures, which allowed users of other
brands to manually edit them into their implants, but I was hesitant
to offer them without the appliers for other brands.

Enter Solidx, a skilled builder and old friend. He told me that he
had built a mall and invited me to sell my clothing there. As a member
of the still active Implant Nation group, I knew there were still many
users that could use my products and, in time, I could add appliers
for other brands. I accepted Solidx's invitation and set up a kiosk
to offer my busty clothing and also my new line of mesh jackets, dresses
and boots. Since then, SL Newser has created a fashion page and the
editor said that if the owner of shops buys advetisement, news articles
can provide links to them. Solidx was glad to pay for an ad to bring
more traffic to the many shops in his new mall. With that, I began an
in depth exploration, so that I may tell you of my experience and invite
you to come see it for yourself.

The Breast Friendly Shopping Mall

When I was a pro-dancer, I wore my implants every day and was always
on the look out for shops and malls that sold compatible clothing. All
too often, I found myself in shops that did not list the brands that
were supported or the quality did not meet my expectations. As I began
to explore Chest Treasures, three things made a good impression, right
from the start. They have over sixty shops in one location, all of the
clothing is top quality and all come with appliers for Lolas Tango implants.
I have many brands, but did not have that one yet, so I paused my research
and found Lolas shop, to get a look at them.

I found the vendor and
spent at least an hour standing there looking at them. On the one hand,
they were the best looking brand I'd ever seen, but then, they were
also the most expensive. I stood there, weighing the pros and cons of
whether I should buy them or not. On the down side, there was a) the
high price, b) I don't require them for my job, c) I'd have to buy clothes
that support them and d) With my looks, I already get hit on, everywhere
I go, by both men and women. On the plus side there was a) While I stood
there, at least a half dozen girls came by to drool over them with me,
saying they were saving up to buy a pair, b) I did have enough money,
c) It would be easy for me to make or modify clothes to go with them
and sell, d) I knew that many of the Chest Treasures shops were giving
away gifts for the grand opening and there were a lot of prize chairs,
so I would get a few outfits to start, without having to spend any more
and e) I actually enjoy being too pretty for my own good, (laughing out loud).

The pros
outweighed the cons, so I paid the $1750, rushed home to open my package
and try them out. After setting the skin color to match my av and putting
on one of the included tops, I returned to Chest Treasures and spent
the next two days walking to every shop in the mall. Within 24 hours,
I had figured out how to convert my own clothing to work with the Lolas.
Solidx provided me with a current list of all the shops.

It does not matter if you wear implants or not,
as all these clothes can be worn with or without them. With so many
quality shops, with their sales, free gifts and prize chairs, you're
bound to fill a shopping cart with each visit and return again for the
convenience of one stop shopping. Many of the shops also provide LMs
to their main stores and group joins, so you can stay informed of their
latest offerings. In the two days that I spent exploring, I counted
14 prize chairs and 28 free gifts. . If that's not enough, there is
also a shop that sells houses by Solidx and a nightclub.

Keeping "abreast"

Chest Treasure also has a
blog and a Facebook page, so you can stay informed of all the new additions.